Frankly My Dear, I DON'T Give a Damn!

Published:  August 26th, 2008

Rhett Butler's People

By: Donald McCaig

St. Martin's Paperbacks

ISBN-13: 9780312945787

Rhett Butler's People fulfills the dreams of those whose imaginations have been indelibly marked by America's greatest novel, Gone With the Wind.  Here you'll meet Rhett as a boy, a free spirit who loved the marshes and tidewaters of the Low Country, and learn of the ruthlessness of Rhett's father, whose desire for control resulted in the unspeakable.

Through Rhett's eyes, you'll encounter those who shaped him in other ways: the Overseer's daughter, Belle Watling; Rosemary, Rhett's brave and determined sister; Tunis Bonneau, the son of freed slaves who understood the young Rhett like no one else; and Jack Ravanel, whose name became inextricably linked to heartbreak.  And then there's Katie Scarlett O'Hara herself -- the headstrong, passionate woman whose life is inextricably entwined with Rhett's; more like him than she cares to admit; more in love with him than either of them will ever know.....

Review  (BEWARE OF SPOILERS!!!)

       I mostly enjoyed this book, and thought it gave a fairly good representation of Rhett's history.  Even the first bit of it after Rhett left Scarlett felt realistic to me (I liked him raising hell with Tazewell Watling and Scarlett returning to Tara - they both rang true for me).  I didn't even mind Rosemary's relationship with Ashley Wilkes deepening past mere friendship, especially after her earlier correspondence with Melly (I loved the depth that McCaig gave Miss Melly in particular).  Where things started to devolve for me personally, was the minute Rhett sent Scarlett the Christmas present and she sent him the telegram.  It felt forced, like a way to somehow bring them back together before the book was over.  And that whole scene at the livestock auction, with Isaiah and his two goons, where Ashley and Will bust in to "handle it" and Will gets SHOT AND KILLED!!!  It was completely unnecessary!  And AS IF Suellen would just leave Tara with her kids and give it to Scarlett!!!  That whole thing made me scoff in disbelief.  Then Rhett just comes home, for seemingly NO. REASON. OTHER. THAN. THAT. GODDAMNED. TELEGRAM! (i.e. nonsensical plot device).  When he gets there, they're just together again.  Zero explanation and Rhett's money apparently saves the day, with them deciding to throw a barbecue "like the old days."  Then McCaig has the novel end with Isaiah Watling BURNING DOWN TARA!!!  Even Sherman didn't burn that freaking house, but THIS happens to IT?

       The ending just put the final nail in the coffin.  I could ignore the cheesy parallels between little Meg Haynes (Rosemary's daughter) and her cousin Bonnie Blue, and the whole thing where Rosemary ended up marrying that scoundrel Andrew Ravanel -- even when she seemed to have grown beyond such an idiotic choice.  But that ending...I don't think I can forgive that.  Unless you think you can get past my qualms, don't even bother reading it.  I actually think I preferred Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley.  I know, right?  That's not the best sequel ever either, so that ought to tell you something about this one!

VERDICT:  2/5 Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

How to Catch a Professor (Without Even Trying)

Published:  January 20th, 2014

Prudence and the Professor (Brides of Jubilee #1)

By: Sibelle Stone

Moon Valley Publishing

ASIN #:  B00I0B8Y22

Civil War widow Prudence Worthington has vowed to never again be at the mercy of a man.  She's determined to make her own way in the world after being one of the first women to graduate from a business school in upstate New York.  In search of adventure and independence she takes a position as a personal secretary to an eccentric inventor and heads to Montana territory.

Professor Gerritt Rhineheart must develop his newest invention to meet a critical deadline.  Someone is willing to do almost anything to stop him, and the distraction of a raven-haired beauty he hired as his secretary makes it impossible to concentrate.  But he must stay focused, especially when his invention could change the course of the War-Between-the-States.

Discover a rollicking steampunk romance from an award-winning author.   The first book in the Brides of Jubilee series.

Review

     Anyone who knows me, knows that I tend to avoid most things steampunk related.  I like my complicated world-building and overall book surroundings to be more fantasy than mech in their flavor.  But occasionally there will be a steampunk novel that will sneak its way into my to-read pile.  Because of the fact that this was marketed first and foremost as a historical romance, this one crawled in through the breach!  I was interested because the cover doesn't scream steampunk OR typical, historical romance, at all, and I wanted to read it and find out how it would turn out.  I enjoyed the fact that Prudence, while still fairly young for a widow and heroine, is a strong and independent woman.  She has graduated from business college and wants to run her own secretarial school one day.  After being stuck living with her cruel mother-in-law, who treated her like an unpaid servant, and was abusive verbally and physically, Prudence wants to make a way for herself.  She wants to control her own destiny and help other women do that as well.  Plus, she's sassy, kind of awkward, and pretty darn funny!

     Professor Gerritt Rhineheart is a colleague of her Uncle's, so Prudence starts corresponding with him and takes the position as his secretary.  But Gerritt hired her mainly because the tintype (photo) she sent him made her look plain, unappealing and downright ugly  He figures she won't be getting married away from her job anytime soon, so it's safe to hire her to help him out.  Well, the tintype just turns out to be a bad picture day.  Prudence is very pretty and also, very distracting to Professor Rhineheart himself.  With Prudence and Gerritt getting into compromising situations at every turn, his inappropriate bawdy housekeeper Alma trying to get them together, the Confederates trying to steal the designs for his game-changing invention, and someone trying to harm Prudence, can Gerritt truly resist falling in love?  Especially when Prudence is falling right along with him?

     What drew me in was the approachability of these characters.  Prudence is by no means a prissy, perfect widow.  She is flawed, slightly lust-driven and sometimes says things she knows she shouldn't.  Gerritt is insecure, but beyond charming and the sex appeal just oozes off the page in every encounter between the two of them.  Sure, the verbal exchanges are a bit corny sometimes.  And the "high action" sequence at the end of the book, meant to resolve the mystery, is by no means unpredictable.  I knew who the villain was going to be less than halfway through.  But this book tickled my funny bone, tugged at my heart and had some truly awesome characters.  It was a sweet romance (if a bit sexually unrealistic, in terms of their somewhat weak surrender & societal disregard a great deal of the time), and the supporting characters were wonderful too.  I loved Alma, who teaches Prudence to shoot a revolver and a rifle, gives her sex advice (and unsolicited stories from her bedroom, set when her husband was alive), and can cook like nobody's business.  She's a scary, warm and fuzzy teddy bear.  And somewhat of a man-eater.  I adored her so much.  Alma is the latter day Golden Girl of the Wild West romance genre!  

     Also, Gerritt reminded me SO MUCH of Nathan Fillion in his role as Mal on Firefly - only with slightly more common sense and more academia.  But the way the reader is introduced to his character is very swashbuckling, daring hero-esque.  The cover model also does not help to dissuade me from this notion.  I also love the cover of this one and it's relation to the actual story!  Prudence and Gerritt look just how they're described, all the way down to her horribly ugly hat with the stuffed, dead birds on it!  Overall, even with some mech tendencies, the focus in this one was more on the romance.  I recommend it to fans of light, humorous historical romance who don't mind a slight bit of alternative history.  Also, fans of Nathan Fillion.  Be prepared for Gerritt Rhineheart to melt your panties with his daring, tragic backstory and sweet talking ways!

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received this book from Moon Valley Publishing, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on January 20th, 2014.*

With a Rebel Yell

Published:  June 1st, 2013
Rebel Spirits
By: Lois Ruby
Point
ISBN-13:  9780545426237

Infused with history and mystery, this tale of ghosts, love, and murder takes place in present-day Gettysburg, where the Civil War still looms large.

Lori Chase doesn't know what to think about ghosts. She may have seen a few in the past, but those were just childish imaginings...right? Only now that she is living in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, spirits seem to be on everyone's mind. The town is obsessed with its bloody Civil War history, and the old inn that Lori's parents run is supposedly haunted by the souls of dead soldiers.

Then Lori meets one such soldier--the devastatingly handsome Nathaniel Pierce. Nathaniel's soul cannot rest, and he desperately needs Lori's help. Because Nathaniel was not killed in the famous battle. He was murdered. Lori begins to investigate the age-old mystery, stumbling upon shocking clues and secrets.

At the same time, she can't help falling for Nathaniel, just as he is falling for her....

Review

 

     First off before I dig an deeper than the surface of this book, the title is a COMPLETE misnomer!  This book centers around the ghost of a soldier from the Union, a.k.a. the Northern Army.  Not the Southern one, who are referred to as the 'rebel' army.  Therefore it makes no offense, and is slightly confusing.  There, now that inconsistency is out of the way, let's get on with the actual review! :)  Lorelai 'Lori' Chase is a sixteen year old girl who is forced to move with her parents to Gettysburg, away from all her friends, so they can finally open their own Bed and Breakfast like they've always wanted to.  The building they've purchased comes with an inherited staff, some creaks and fix-it situations - oh yeah, and did anyone mention the ghost of a murdered soldier?  Lori has been keeping a secret from her parents and her best friend for a long time that makes this ghost a nuisance.  She can see him and communicate with him.  Lori has been able to see spirits for years.  With the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg approaching, soldier Nathaniel Pierce only has a short amount of time to discover who murdered him and why so he can rest in peace.  With treasure, scorned relatives and battlefield mayhem clouding the truth will Lori ever be able to help him find out what really happened?  And how can she stop herself from falling for such a charming guy...even though he's dead?   With treasure at stake things quickly turn deadly and it will take all her wits for Lori to make it out alive. 

     What's new Scooby Doo?  That's what I felt like saying as I read a good majority of this novel.  It reads like a movie-of-the-week suspense piece and the middle grade feel/style did it no favors for me either.  Of course, sucker that I am, I couldn't resist a book involving a Civil War ghost and a murder mystery.  *Slaps forehead dramatically.*  D'oh!  This wasn't a badly written book by any means - a cute, cookie-cutter middle grade, paranormal romance. It was just unfortunately predictable, the characters were bland without any real development/spice and the whodunit was pretty cut and dried.  Oh yeah, it also employed the dreaded paranormal love triangle and insta-love tropes.  The cute lawn boy who's in his summer before college or the ghost of a Union soldier (who actually seems like kind of a smug dick most of the time to me).  Choices, choices and of course they both luuurrrvvveee Lori and want to be with her.  Yeah, sure.  Also, this whole thing takes place in less than a week.  To me that just comes across as lazy under the pretense of plot momentum.  Ruby mentions some seriously great stuff like reenactments on battlefields, cemetery 'ghost' tours and presidential connections to her own murder mystery.  But that's all they are in a really short and underdeveloped book - tidbits of things that could have made this book far better than it was. 

     This is the kind of book that 12 year old me would have devoured and 'loved forever and ever!'  (As evidenced by my recent Caroline B. Cooney re-reads, I was nowhere near as harsh [i.e. bitter] of a book reader back then]).  I would read anything with pages and ink at that point in my life, so that isn't really saying much.  Even Ruby's attempt at inserting interesting guests at the B&B fell short of a working plot device.  The ending is very neatly tied up, but is very vague in terms of answering what the characters will end up doing/being.  I would recommend this to teachers with reluctant readers, and those who want to get a kid interested in history with some light fiction.  Overall, not for me but I'm sure it would entice someone to read and I do give props to the author (and subtract some personal points) that she kept me reading to the end.

 

VERDICT:  2/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published on June 1st, 2013.*

Dust In The Wind...

Expected Publication: October 9th, 2012

A Thunderous Whisper

By: Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Knopf Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13: 9780375869297

Ani believes she is just an insignificant whisper of a 12-year-old girl in a loud world. This is what her mother tells her anyway. Her father made her feel important, but he's been off fighting in Spain's Civil War, and his voice in her head is fading. Then she meets Mathias. His family has just moved to Guernica and he's as far from a whisper as a 14-year-old boy can be. Ani thinks Mathias is more like lightning. A boy of action. Mathias's father is part of a spy network and soon Ani finds herself helping him deliver messages to other members of the underground. She's actually making a difference in the world. 

And then her world explodes. The sleepy little market town of Guernica is destroyed by Nazi bombers. In one afternoon Ani loses her city, her home, her mother. But in helping the other survivors, Ani gains a sense of her own strength. And she and Mathias make plans to fight back in their own unique way.

Review

   Ani lives in the small town of Guernica, with her Mother and Father.  She goes out every day to sell sardines with her Mother, who makes a living at it.  Ani is teased and ridiculed by her classmates, has no friends and desperately misses her Father who is fighting in the Spanish Civil War that is raging around her.  Also going on at this time is WWII, so Ani and her neighbors also gave to worry about being bombed by the Nazis.  When Mathias moves to town with his parents who take over management of the movie theater, Ani makes her first friend.  She also becomes involved in something far more dangerous than she ever imagined when the two kids stumble across a spy ring involving Matt's parents.  They become involved as messengers and when they have the chance to make a difference for real Ani and Matt have to fight to be heard.  But after Guernica is bombed and their families are shattered, Ani and Matt must decide what is more important - fighting back or saving others from the ravages of war.  This was different from my usual supernatural fare.  I know almost next to nothing about Spanish history, the Basque subsect of the population and the Civil War that was raging in the backdrop of WWII.  But I really    felt connected to Ani and Mathias despite the cultural differences.  I loved seeing Ani's joy at watching her first movie (Top Hat, with Fred and Ginger of course) and the happiness that came with her and Matt's growing friendship.  The devastation after the bombing of Guernica just about broke my heart in half and I loved the fact that the author was realistic about the survival of family versus the death of them.  The ending was beautiful and it truly made me glad that this book will be published.  If I can find more books like this, historical fiction might become a steadier part of my diet.  The only thing I wasn't too enamored with was how unreasonable Matt became later in the novel.  But then again, he was a fourteen year old boy.  If you want to read a wonderful book about coming of age during the two separate wars that intersect in a horrific way, and in spite of them, this is the book for you.  It definitely made me feel like I was gaining something important.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is October 9th, 2012.*

A Soldier's Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero

Expected Publication: September 1st, 2012
A Soldier's Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero
By: Marissa Moss
Amulet Books
ISBN-13: 9781419704277

The story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, who masqueraded as a man named Frank Thompson during the Civil War. Among her many adventures, she was a nurse on the battlefield and a spy for the Union Army, and was captured by (and escaped from) the Confederates. The novel is narrated by Sarah, offering readers an in-depth look not only at the Civil War but also at her journey to self-discovery as she grapples with living a lie and falling in love with one of her fellow soldiers.

Review

   Sarah Edmonds lives with her Mother, brother and abusive Father determined to win her Father's love, approval and respect - until he takes things too far.  After he sells her beloved horse and arranges for her to marry its new owner, she dresses as a boy and runs away from home.  She gains a job selling books from a fair employer, but when the Civil War begins Sarah decides to enlist, becoming first a nurse and then a spy under the name Frank Thompson.  She becomes great friends with Jerome, her fellow nurse and slowly falls in love with him.  Revealing to him that she's a woman causes all sorts of complications, especially because he is engaged and doesn't think Sarah/Frank is a proper woman anyways.  Sarah goes on plenty of adventures, but after being taken ill while spying she is unable to make her way back to her regiment.  Wanted for desertion as Frank, she must become the woman she hasn't allowed herself to be to survive.  Sarah decides to write a memoir of her time in the army.  Will she eventually be recognized for her heroics?  Only time will tell...  Obviously Sarah was recognized for her military service.  She was the only woman to receive an honorable discharge and pension from the army for service in the Civil War.  I was intrigued by her story, because it actually happened.  But this book was far too long in my opinion.  I liked the historical detail, but there was no real action per se, until almost the end of the novel.  This meant that is dragged on for quite awhile.  I appreciate how hard it must be to write a book based on true events, trying to stay as close to the reality as possible.  I think that I will stick to ficiton from now on though, instead of fictionalized history.

VERDICT:  2.25/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is September 1st, 2012.*

Girl of Hidden Talents

Published: November 11th, 2011
Not Quite Ordinary
By: Ariana Knight
Independently Published
No IBSN-13 # Found


Sarah, the most ordinary of ordinary girls, is thrown into a world she never dreamed could exist. After discovering a stack of hidden letters from an estranged grandmother, she learns an extraordinary secret - her family comes from a long line of powerful witches. She finds herself caught up in a world of sorcery and danger - a world where she is surprisingly gifted. Sadly, her newfound confidence is shattered after tragedy strikes, and she must decide whether to continue her practice of witchcraft, or return to her painfully ordinary, but safe life.

Review

   Sarah knows that she is nothing special.  Everything about her is average and she feels like the human equivalent of the color beige.  She has what seems like the perfect family life, but always is left feeling inferior to her Mother and sister Jenny.  All Sarah wants is for something new and exciting to happen.  She also wants to find out once and for all why her Father is keeping her from her Grandmother and lying to her about where she is, leading Sarah to believe that her Grandmother is mentally ill.  But Sarah gets more than she bargained for when she finds Lily and learns that she really is more than ordinary.  It turns out that witchcraft runs in the Wishart family bloodline and Sarah is destined to be a great warrior for the white witches in a war against the dark practitioners.  It will be up to Sarah, who has been without virtually any training to save the world as they know it.  With the help of her friends Matt and Aurora, can Sarah defeat those who would destroy her?  Especially after two devastating blows hit her one after the other.  This book has a sweet and simple story to it that is interesting.  I liked it, but it felt like the writing and characterizations were stilted and unrealistic.  The follow-through felt very young and I think this book would do well for a pre-teen audience more so than younger teenagers.  It was not one that I fell in love with and I don't think that I will read the next one.  That said, it was NOT a waste of my time.  It was cute and worth it.

VERDICT: 3/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the author herself, via LibraryThing. No money was exchanged for this review. The publication date of this book was November 11th, 2011.*

Presently Imperfectly Perfect

Published: October 4th, 2011
Past Perfect
By: Leila Sales
Simon Pulse
ISBN-13: 9781442406827


All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.
Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….

Review

   Chelsea Glaser (known as Elizabeth Connelly when re-enacting) has been a part of the Essex Historical Colonial village re-enactment since she was a child.  Her father is the silversmith and her mother is just as involved in it.  Every summer the middle/high school employees have a war with the Civil War  ReenactmentLand kids across the street.  This year Chelsea is working with her best friend Fiona, her ex-boyfriend Ezra who she still isn't over, and she has been voted the lieutenant.  Also, she has growing feelings for one of the Civil Warriors, Dan.  Will Chelsea be able to work things out with Dan, or is she doomed to repeat her past mistakes with Ezra all over again?  Who will win the war and will it even matter by the time it's over.  I loved the snarkiness of the main characters in this book.  Their whole obsession with ice cream made me laugh out loud, especially when Fiona and Chelsea expound on their ratings system at length.  I adored Chelsea in general because she reminded me a lot of Mia in The Princess Diaries.  This whole book has a Meg Cabot feel, with the historical reenactment lending it's own brand of special awesomeness.  I loved the moments between Dan and Chelsea, especially the scene on the trampoline.  The last 'war council' in the book was laugh out loud funny.  I would recommend this to fans of light-hearted books with romance and historical elements. 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars, plus hugs for Chelsea and Fiona

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*